Hundreds receive Ribebe’s body at airport

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Rundu
Hundreds of people - some of them wailing received the body of the late Shambyu leader Queen Angelina Matumbo Ribebe at Rundu.
Hundreds gathered at Rundu airport at 15h00. The corpse was flown from Windhoek to Rundu by members of the Namibian Air Force.
The Shambyu royal family and people from all walks of life including school children took the time to go by car and some even walked to the airport a distance of three kilometres from Rundu to receive the remains of the queen.
Her body was transported to the Rundu mortuary by royal family members who also performed some traditional rituals befitting her royal status.
Church choirs also sang while pastors prayed.
The town of Rundu virtually came to a standstill from 14h00 to 16h30 as it paid respect to the casket bearing the remains of Chief Ribebe.
People stood still along the main road from the airport all the way to the mortuary where her remains will lay until burial at the royal cemetery .
Queen Ribebe will be buried on Saturday June 27at Gove village in Mashare constituency where all Shambyu royalty are buried.
Gove village is located 40 km east of Rundu along the gravel road, near the Kavango river.
The acting chief who is also the senior headwoman of the Shambyu traditional authority, Theresia Donna Haupindi confirmed to New Era.
“She will be laid to rest at Gove on June 27, where her late relatives of the royal family have been buried. So all the tribesmen who wish to escort our queen to her final resting place are welcome to join the family and the region to go and bury our queen,” said the acting as chief in the interim.
“The memorial service will be held at the Queens Palace at Kayengona village on Friday afternoon, followed by the burial on Saturday. People will move from the palace to the graveyard at Gove,” naratted the acting chief.
Queen Ribebe died at the age of 55 in the Roman Catholic Hospital in Windhoek on June 14 where she has been hospitalised since early May.
She was diagnosed with chronic kidney illness and for many years has been in and out of hospital.
Ribebe has been chief of the Vashambyu since May 19, 1989 when she took over after the death of her brother Gothard Haininga in a car accident. Ribebe leaves behind her husband, Alois Gende, five children and nine grandchildren.
Grief-stricken relatives and family are gathered at the palace at Kayengona village east of Rundu.
Several people have donated food and cattle to be used at the palace where people are gathered. New Era Reporter 2015-06-25 10:14:24 3 years ago